LONGVIEW, Wash. – In a game of wild momentum swings at Myklebust Gymnasium, the Lower Columbia Red Devils battled back from a halftime deficit to take a second-half lead, but a late shooting surge by Green River proved too much to overcome in a 76-63 loss on Saturday.

The loss drops Lower Columbia to 11-3 on the season and 1-1 in league play, while the Gators improve to 13-4 (2-0).

Game Narrative After struggling offensively in the first half and trailing 35-29 at the break, the Red Devils came out of the locker room with high energy. Lower Columbia chipped away at the lead, finally overtaking the Gators with 12:28 remaining when Dalton Stevens scored inside to put LCC up 46-45.

The mid-second half belonged to the Devils, who extended their lead to three points at 55-52 following a layup by Stevens with 8:15 on the clock. The Myklebust crowd was on its feet as the Red Devils looked poised to close out a victory against a tough conference opponent.

However, the final seven minutes saw the momentum shift drastically. Green River tied the game at 55-55 on free throws and then unleashed a barrage of offense. The Gators went on a decisive 21-8 run to close the game, fueled by hot shooting from Chase Degraffenried, who led all scorers with 22 points for the visitors.

Red Devil Standouts Despite the result, Dalton Stevens was electric off the bench for Lower Columbia. The sophomore forward led the team with 15 points on efficient 7-of-12 shooting and pulled down a team-high 7 rebounds, including four crucial boards on the offensive end.

• Noah Schow was a steady presence in the starting lineup, tallying 12 points and 5 rebounds while playing 36 minutes.

• Shane Douma-Sanchez orchestrated the offense, dishing out a team-high 5 assists to go with his 10 points.

• Skyler Schmidt battled in the paint, finishing with 8 points and matching Stevens with 7 rebounds.

• Kenyan Jackman-Thomas also provided toughness inside, grabbing 7 rebounds and adding 2 steals.

Key Stats The difference in the contest ultimately came down to shooting efficiency. The Red Devils fought hard to create opportunities, taking 70 shots to Green River's 51, but LCC struggled to find the bottom of the net, shooting 38.6% from the field compared to Green River's blistering 52.9%.

LCC dominated the glass on the offensive end with 13 offensive rebounds, leading to 7 second-chance points, but couldn't overcome the Gators' accuracy down the stretch.

Next up, the Red Devils hit the road to face the Pierce Raiders in Lakewood, WA on Wednesday, January 14. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.